Asphalt shingles have been used in North America since the early 1900s and are the most common type of roof covering used for steep-slope roof system construction. Asphalt shingles are factory manufactured roofing materials that are installed in courses to create a multi-layered, overlapping, water-shedding roof covering.
Asphalt shingles first were produced around 1901 and came into general use about 1910. Around 1915, machinery was developed for roller-die cutting of granular roll roofing materials into irregular shapes on a continuous production line. These new products were more fire resistant than wood shingles; offered more colors, shapes and patterns; and were less expensive. Single unit shingles often were 12 inches by 16 inches (300 mm by 410 mm). Early strip shingles were 10 inches to 13 1/2 inches (250 to 340 mm) by 36 inches (910 mm).